November 13, 1925 �" April 3, 2010
"My Three Gay Sons Are Beautiful Human Beings!" read the banner which Loretta Mooney Humphries carried in the 1979 Pride Parade, her first. Within one year, she, along with three other parents, had founded what is now known as Parents and Friends of Lesbian And Gays (PFLAG).
A fierce mother bear where her children were concerned, that fierceness extended to the entire LGBT community and our quest for equality. Bob Ross, founder of the Bay Area Reporter, admired and befriended her because he recognized the importance of her endeavor.
So did Jon Sims, founder of San Francisco's Gay Marching Band, especially when she volunteered to sew the uniforms for their first performance at Mission High School, because her son, Steven, was a member.
When most of his friends had abandoned him, she tended to Jon in his last days, as she tended to many patients.
Loretta is survived by her children, Bob, Steven and Leora; her son-in-law, Victor; grandson, Manolo; and seventy-plus nieces and nephews. A memorial mass will be celebrated at Mission Dolores Basilica on November 13, 2010 at 9am, her 85th birthday. All are invited to attend.
Her legacy has helped many. We are proud of you, mom.